


young love, indeed

by diluc



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Awkwardness, Blushing, F/F, Fluff, Injury Recovery, Mild Blood, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 07:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23467399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diluc/pseuds/diluc
Summary: "Well, that's all good! We're friends, and friends are meant to have each other's backs. Right?""Yes…" Petra's face looks pensive for a second before her lips bloom in a smile so effervescent Dorothea feels she will now melt. "Yes. Friends."In which Dorothea gets injured and Petra tends to her, all the while maintaining their crushes unresolved. Written for day 1: Retreat.
Relationships: Dorothea Arnault/Petra Macneary
Kudos: 28
Collections: Doropetra Week 2020





	young love, indeed

**Author's Note:**

> MUGE BIG DUMBASS I FORGOT DOROPETRA WEEK BECAUSE I WAS FOCUSED ON SCHOOL.............

The world spins so awfully. The clouded skies look as though bleeding in the sun's setting light, and that doesn't improve anything about the current battle; Dorothea had never thought clearing up some bandit camp would end up so major, but then again, violence always is.  
Blood spurts around; her sight weakens as she recalls the arias she's sung, the people she'd known and hated, the awful nobles of the Empire, the-

"Petra! Fly over to Dorothea, she's in need of assistance!"  
Dorothea shivers as her name is uttered, brought back to reality by the professor's calm, yet insistent voice. The corners of her vision grow pitch black - _the blood is mine,_ she realizes, _mixed with someone else’s._ As the faint reek and taste of iron on her skin builds up, she tries her best to fend off enemies with her remaining breath: quickly, she zaps an archer with her thunder spell, hands already calloused by magic; Petra’s eyes widen after that. 

_Oh._ It seems she did not realize the foe she’d just struck was about to aim at the Brigid princess; before Dorothea finds something to say, Petra dives into the fight and in front of her. She disposes of the enemy in a way so sleek and alluring, her blade gleaming, that the songstress - despite her obvious loathing of violence - found herself following the huntress princess’ every move atop her pegasus. She doesn’t know when or where did her limbs meet the cold, dark dirt; the only things she remembers are the flash in Petra’s eyes, the blood caked on her skin, and the murky sky around them at sunset. 

“Dorothea? Have you wake- _woken_ up?”   
She blinks once. Then twice. Above her is a nest of purple braids and eyes so caring she just wants to reach out, for some stupid, unfathomable reason. But she doesn’t, and swiftly recognizes that face as Petra’s; she must be growing delusional from her wounds, huh.  
Wait, wounds?

Around her is an ill-lit room, with but a single candle next to her bed emitting a faint glow. Dorothea tries to sit up, causing her to hiss through her teeth; the pain is overwhelming at first. "Petra?" her voice comes out groggy, "What happened?"  
"I am glad you have come to. You have been injured in the last battle, so the professor required of me to carry you to the infirmary." (The mental sight of Petra carrying her did seem to evoke some kind of reaction from Dorothea… her cheeks flushed a tad. She hopes it's barely visible in this faint lighting.) 

Nevertheless, the songstress just beams sweetly. "Aw, thank you so much! I'm really grateful, you didn't have to do that." Is… is Petra blushing, too? For some reason, she finds herself wishful of just that. Must it be a trick of light, or is the princess in front of her playing the same card as she is? "Why haven't you left, though? I mean, I'd wake up all right…"  
Petra's face twisted up just a little. "If you have need of me to leave, I shall." She shifts somewhat awkwardly atop her chair as if to stand up - that is, before Dorothea impulsively reaches out for her hand, mentally slapping herself. What got into her for the songstress to just randomly grab Petra's hand? What debauchery is this?

Nevertheless, her hand is more rough and clammy than Dorothea's; it is frigid, exceptionally so, eliciting the brunette's spine to crawl in shivers. She can see Petra flush further, and concludes her face is the exact same now. "Stay- I mean, your company is rather pleasant," she manages to speak at last, embarrassment kicking in. "you were really brave in that battle, though, you know."  
Petra's facial expression relaxes. "Thank you. Valor is but necessary in battle. One has to fight to- for the things they cherish." 

"Oh, so you cherish me?" Dorothea giggles a little, teasing. She doesn't expect the reaction that follows.  
"I… well, I do." The princess's face, illuminated by the yellow light, tenses a bit as she bites her lower lip. She then looks away, continuing, "You are my friend, after all." 

Dorothea feels as though there's something she decided not to speak of, and she respects that. After all, the songstress herself has things to tell a tad later. She thus leads the conversation astray with a, "I owe you one now," smiling, "I hope I can repay you in some way! Not just to be hospitable, but just because you saved my life."  
"I did not," Petra replies, eyes gleaming, basking in the sight of Dorothea's visage. The latter feels her cheeks warm up a little. "What did is… you are a very rou- I mean, tough person. Your will is stalwart. You continued to defend me, even before you fainted and had to retreat."  
"I...I did?" Petra's face wavers a little at that, and the brunette feels like she said something wrong. And then it dawns upon her. "Oh, you mean taking out the archer behind you?"  
The plum-haired young woman hums in acknowledgement. "Yes, that was my meaning."  
"Well, that's all good! We're friends, and friends are meant to have each other's backs. Right?"  
"Yes…" Petra's face looks pensive for a second before her lips bloom in a smile so effervescent Dorothea feels she will now melt. "Yes. Friends."

There's still a bitterness in her voice, but she looks so radiant…

"I'm glad you girls are getting along, but Petra, dear, didn't you say you only wanted to see Dorothea awake?" Manuela peers through the cracks in the infirmary door before opening it wide. "And yes, you have each other's backs. Which is why Petra patched you up, huh?"  
Dorothea's eyes snap wide and dart to her friend beside her. "You… you what?"  
"I am sorry if this was unwanted. I am knowledgeable about wound-healing because I studied it." Her gaze, solemn, meets the songstress'. "I apologize if this was… unnecessary. Professor Manuela still helped a lot." 

"No- no, Petra, it's just that…" she trails off, her mouth suddenly dry and wide. Petra fixed her wounds… but why? Was it some kind of tradition from Brigid, or did Petra feel responsible for Dorothea's sounds? Was it... something done out of sheer sentiment? Was Dorothea misreading the situation? "... thank you so much, Petra. I guess I owe you one more?"

"You do not," she shakes her head fiercely, gaze fixed upon the songstress, as she flushes a tad. "it is as you said. Friends… always have each other's spine."  
Dorothea giggles a bit. "It's an idiom, Petra. It's "have someone's back," not spine."  
"Thank you for the teaching! That is your repayment," is Dorothea hearing it right? Petra is… joking around?

She chuckles impulsively, and the princess replies with an eloquent giggle. "Your laughter is cute," Dorothea follows up, blushing. What is wrong with her today? Is she still delirious?  
And yet that follows into Petra laughing a little more into her fisted hand; Dorothea finds her gaze and heartstrings attached to this endearing sound. She dissolves into laughter again - the two of them guffaw heartily in a few moments, both girls grinning as their reddened cheeks hurt after that. This moment alone is so blithe Dorothea wants to bathe in it, to savor the mutual meaningless joy of their respective youths...

"Sorry to interrupt again," Manuela chimes in, voice more exasperated, "but Dorothea here really needs some rest. My, your assistance and care are really appreciated, though, Petra!"  
In turn, she stands up and bows swiftly. "Thank you for having me, Professor Manuela. Thank you, Dorothea."  
"What for?"  
"For...for being…" Petra seems to have bitten her tongue, "...my friend. Thank you."

Dorothea just beams at her in response; the princess elicits some small sound, bordering on humming.   
"Huh? What does that mean?"  
"Oh," Petra replies abashedly. It looks like she thought no one heard. "Those...humming noises… are expressions of care or affection. In Brigid culture."  
"Aw," the brunette cooes, proceeding to mimic such a sound in reply. She deems the deed rather effective, seeing as how Petra blushes sweetly and excuses herself. 

Dorothea looks up at the ceiling, sighing.  
Manuela plops down next to her now, "Oh, love is so sweet! Even you have it now, Dorothea…"

"W-wha-?" she flushes again. She doesn't normally get this embarrassed, so what's gotten into her today?! "Love…?"  
"Did you really not interpret Petra's notions?" the diva looks down onto her once-apprentice, looking amused and surprised, "I think it's very obvious the girl likes you."  
"I hope she does…"  
"Yes, she does."

"Well, maybe she-"

"Shush," hushes Manuela, grinning, "you'll see in time." A pregnant pause blooms in the infirmary, giving Dorothea some time to ponder, before Manuela speaks up again. "But even students like you have such affairs! Ah, young love…"

Young love, indeed, thinks Dorothea.

**Author's Note:**

> the affection hum thingy comes from my culture but thats minor swedrftyuio  
> btw never trade ur favorite wlw for 3.98 gpa it is extremely not worth it  
> hmu on twitter @mugemugemoo


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